


Salus

by veronamay



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Episode Related, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-08-25
Updated: 2004-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-27 06:37:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veronamay/pseuds/veronamay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place during "A Coffin For Starsky". Starsky POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salus

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks (as always) to [](http://lydia-petze.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://lydia-petze.livejournal.com/)**lydia_petze**

It’s not too bad at first. Feels normal, after the wooziness wears off. Feels okay enough to snipe at Hutch (what kind of partner forgets to bring pants? And the answer is, One that was thinking about little things like _life_ and _death_ ), and that relaxes them both.

Time goes by like usual. Just another hunt for a no-good lowdown creep, and the confidence is there that they’ll catch him. Of course they will. Bad guys just don’t get away from them; it’s a golden rule. Dobey’s worried, and it shows. It’s kind of nice and a bit embarrassing. But Hutch is the one to look out for. When Hutch gets worried it’ll be a different story.

Then Hutch does start to worry, when the sweating becomes less exertion and more fever. It’s right there on his face, only he doesn’t say anything because he knows not to. What’s the point? But he’s there to lean on, to catch the mistakes, cover them up. Except he’s getting a little blurry round the edges now.

Sweet Alice notices, eventually. That shows how far it’s gone – Alice is a sweetheart, but she’s not long on details. The clock seems to tick a little faster afterward.

The pain hits without warning, attacking from all sides, centering in one clenching hand that grips and twists, and sharp claws that rend deep. Hutch is there to hold, and he’s warm and solid and that alone makes it better. Not for an everlasting moment, though. For that one moment there is no Hutch, and that’s scary. But it passes, and Hutch comes back.

Janos, thankfully, doesn’t see a goddamned thing. He’s too busy laughing like a jackass, which is good but bad because he’s not the one. That would’ve been too easy. Kind of a shame, though – it’d be good to bust him for something, only everything seems to be aboveboard today. Maybe next time.

It comes back, as if it knows it can. The claws are mostly sheathed, only scratching. Hutch’s shoulder is a good place to try to hide. But hiding places are few and far between now, and the best ones are chemical.

Fuzziness becomes a constant that replaces normal perception. Time to let Hutch know just how important he is, how necessary. Not just in bed, though that’s always been part of it; the best part by far has always been that they’re _them_. They’re more together than they are apart, and Hutch should know that this feeling is true for both of them. The togetherness, no matter what they’re doing, is the prizewinning stuff.

Hutch gets it. He gets it so much he nearly breaks down, and if it wasn’t for that woman he would’ve lost it right there. But there’s Bellamy staring up from the photo in her hand, and Hutch is right there with the door open and somehow he has the Torino’s engine revving, ready to bring this nightmare to an end. Only it doesn’t end; nothing works anymore and Bellamy won’t let it end. Hutch can’t see the gun pointed at him so there’s no choice but to shoot. Hutch doesn’t agree, but what else is new?

The world goes away. Hutch is still there, but he’s faint now, just a voice in the dark. Then he’s gone too, and the dark is satisfied.

Hutch cheats the dark. Hutch will always cheat the dark. Starsky knows this, and rests.

**Author's Note:**

> salus: health, safety, well-being, salvation/salutation


End file.
